The 2023 project of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23, with a squad of fifteen riders and six new faces

Six new faces in a 2023 squad that will be composed by fifteen riders. These are the guidelines of an EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23 for the next season, the tenth of the project since its inceptionThe Catalan Álex García, the Aragonese Raúl López, the Guipuzcoan Haimar Etxeberria and the Italians Gabriele and Tommaso Bessega and Luca Bagnara are the riders who join the squad directed by Rafa Díaz Justo.

García (April 30, 2004) will face the jump to a new category from the U19  EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team. Both Etxeberria (September 8, 2003) and López (December 12, 2001) come from Caja Rural-Alea. From the UC Bustese Olonia junior of Busto Arsizio, entity with which the Contador Foundation maintains an agreement of collaboration, the twin brothers Bessega, Gabriele and Tommaso (February 18, 2004) will arrive. From the ASD SC Reda Mokador Pedale Chiaravallese  team comes Luca Bagnara (12 February 2003).

The EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23 squad will be completed by Edoardo Alleva, Ramón Fernández, Arnau Gilabert, Antonio González, Sebastiano Minoia, Andrea Montoli, Fran Muñoz, Gabriele Raccagni and Pablo Uría. Both Gilabert and Montoli, who will face their third season in the blue squad, will be the veterans in the new project.

Rafa Díaz Justo, director of the U23 structure: “It has been a really nice year, full of satisfactions, with unforgettable moments. And with a lot of hard work by the boys from day one. Beyond results, because victories depend on many factors and they are never easy, for 2023 we want to repeat the main lines of work, with presence in the big races of the European category and polishing this competitive duality in Spain and Italy. The squad once again presents a very varied profile, with fast riders and good climbers, and has a balance between the youngsters who will show greater maturity next year and some very talented youngsters who are joining the project”.

Fran Contador, general manager of the Fundación Contador teams: “The 2022 season has been exceptional in terms of results, possibly the best in the entire history of the U23 project, with unprecedented results such as the overall in the Spanish Cup achieved by Fran Muñoz, or the great performances of two riders such as Fernando Tercero, a cyclist who came from our youth team, or Davide Piganzoli, Italian time trial champion and tenth in the Giro U23 and fifth in the Tour of the Porvenir, among other great performances. This 2022 was also a logistical challenge for the structure due to the growth of the Italian side and a greater presence on the Italian and international calendar, a challenge that has been met with flying colours. For next season we want to continue to maintain this format, consolidating and evolving it, but above all to continue to grow as a nursery for the future riders of the professional structure”.